Adjustable automobile seat



June 27, 1944. A. c. ANDERSEN 2,352,358

' ADJUSTABLE AUTOMOBILE SEAT Filed Oct. 12. 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY 5 June 27, 1944. C E E 2,352,358

ADJUSTABLE AUTOMOBILE SEAT Filed 061?. 12, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 www ATTORNEYS.

June 27, 1944. c, ANDERSEN 2,352,358

ADJUSTABLE AUTOMOBILE SEAT I Filed Oct. 12, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 40 44 J4 40 4/ 40 Z 4/ 3 4/ x15! ii: 5'5? 3/ J7 iii.. 1 ii .2? 6/ \fflx ATTORNEYS Patented June 27, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,352,358 I ADJUSTABLE AUTOMOBILE SEAT Andrew Christian Andersen, Detroit, Mich., as-

signor to Ternstedt Manufacturing Company, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application October 12, 1939, Serial No. 299,177

2 Claims. (Cl. 155-14) This invention relates to an adjustable automobile seat. I

It is current practice in the heating and ventilating of some vehicle bodies to position the heater beneath the front seat. This requires that the seat be spaced above the fioor of the vehicle a sufficient distance to facilitate the circulation of heated or cooled air throughout the vehicle forwardly and rearwardly of the front seat.

This invention contemplates, in particular, a seat having an adjustable support which will position the seat sufficlently above the floor of the vehicle to create space for the circulation of heated or cooled air from beneath the seat forwardly and rearwardly throughout the vehicle. More particularly the invention comprises a tubular seat support adjustably supported on rollers which gives the seat adjuster strength coupled with lightness and facile adjustment.

The invention also contemplates a novel yieldable tie-down arrangement which holds the seat down upon its roller supports free from rattle.

, In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly in section showing a portion of the seat and one of the two adjustable supports for supporting the seat.

Fig. 2 is a section along the line 2-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section along the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a section along the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation partly in section showing a modified form of tubular seat adjuster.

Fig. 6 is a'section along the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. '7 is a section .along the line 1-1 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a. section along the line 8-4 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 9 is a section along the line 99 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 10 is a section along the line iii-ill of Fig. 5.

Fig. 11 is a section along the line iili of Fig. 5.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, there is shown a seat cushion I supported on a bottom frame 2. Since the seat is supported by a pair of like adjusters, only one need be described.

The adjuster comprises a U shaped tubular support member 3 which is welded or otherwise fixed at its ends to the frame 2. The tubular support 3 is supported upon the spaced rollers 4. The rollers-4 are journaled upon pins 6. The pins 6 ar secured in openings provided in the support 5 and bracket 1, the ends of the pins 6 being riveted over as at l. The support 5 preferably takes the form. of a metal stamping. Each bracket 1 has a lug portion 9 at its upper end which is passed through an opening ii in the support 5. In assembly the lug 9 is passed through the opening it and-then the pin .6 is passed through the lower end of the bracket 1, roller 4v and support 5 and riveted over at 8. Thus the lug 9 cooperates with the pin 6 to secure the bracket I to the support I.

The tubular support 3 is held down upon the roller 4 by means of the hold-down rollers ll. Each roller Ii is journaled upon a pin it. The pin I! has a tight fit in openings l4 in the U shaped member i5 and a loose fit in the openings it in support 5 and bracket 1. The openings it have a larger circumference than the circumference of the pin I! so that the pin I2 is free to float in the openings '5. 'Blocks of rubber I! are pos'tioned between the members l5 and the upper ends i8 of the bracket 1. The blocks i! are under-sufficientcompression to hold the rollers ii down upon the tubular support 3 tothereby prevent any rattles-developing between the tubular support 3 and the lower rollers 4. The clearance between pins l2 and openings l8 prevent the pins from bottoming in the openings.

To limit fore and aft adjustment of the seat upon the rollers 4, a stop in the form of a metal stamping I9 is riveted to the support 3. The stop is cooperates with spaced abutments on the support 5. As herein shown these abutments take the form of leg members 20 and 2| forming a part of the support 5. Thus the forward adjustment of the seat is arrested when stop I! abuts .leg 20 and the rearward adjustment of the seat is arrested when the stop I! abuts leg 2!.

The seat is held in adjusted position by means of a latch 22 pivotally supported on the seat bottom frame 2 and arranged to interengage the rack teeth 28 in the upper edge of the support 5.

The modified form of seat adjuster com-prises cooperating tubular support members 30 and II, the former fixed to the seat bottom frame and the latter to the floor. Support member 30 is supported upon member 3| adjacent its front edge by the rollers 32 and adjacent its rear edge by the rollers 33. The rollers 32 are fixed to the equalizing shaft 34 which extends transversely across and beneath the seat bottom. The lower face of the tubular members 30 is provided with spaced perforations 35 which interengage the teeth of gears 36 fixed at the opposite ends of the equalizing shaft 34. The tubular support member 30 rolls upon rollers 32 and 33 which in turn roll upon the lower tubular support member 3i which is provided with spaced openings 31 for the gear 36.

The upper and lower tubular members 30 and II and rollers 32 and 33 are held together by a tie-down arrangement in the form of invert d U shaped metal straps 38 and 3!. The lower ends of the straps 38 and 39 are held in properly spaced relation by a pair or links 40 secured at each endrte the brackets I] and 38 by rivets 4|. The i'orward strap II is provided with an opening 42 for the equalizing shaft 34. The rear strap II is provided with an elongated opening 43 through which the axle 44 or roller 33 projects. The o Pening 43 permits slight up and down movement of the axle 44 but prevents fore and aft movement or the axle 44 relative to the strap 39. The same is true with respect to opening 42 and equalizing shaft 34. Therefore links 40 act through straps 38 and 38 to maintain the rollers 31 and It in their properly spaced relationship. The tie-down mechanism also includes members preferably in the form of U shaped metal stampings 45 secured to the links 40 in notches 48 by the turned over lugs 41. Each member 45 is also provided with an arm 48, the end of which is provided with a bent over lug 49 which engages the lower edge 01' the member 40 in the notch 50. The member 45 carries a rubber block provided with a U shaped metal cover plate 52 which acts as a bearing and slidably engages the lower face oi the tubular member 3!. Legs 60 of plate 52 pass through and have a sliding fit with member 45 in openings 6!. The rubber block BI is under compression and thus acts through the straps 38 to hold the tubular members and rollers against rattling. Since the member 45 is secured to the links 40 at longitudinally spaced points 41 and 49, it will not turn as the seat support 30 is adjusted fore and aft along the support 3!.

The seat is held in adjusted position by the pivoted latch member 53 carried by the bracket 54 which is fixed to the tubular member 30. The latch 53 interengages rack 55 fixed to the lower support member I I.

I claim:

1. In a vehicle seat adjuster, a pair of support members one oi which is adapted to be fixed to the seat and the other of which is adapted to be fixed to the floor of the vehicle, one of said members having a runner portion, a tie-down member secured to one of said support members to form a housing through which the runner portion of the other support member passes, a roller rotatably supported by the said tie-down member and cooperating support member in the lower portion or said housing upon which the runner portion or the other support member runs, and a cooperating roller positioned in the housing above the said runner member having a rolling contact with the said runner portion, and resilient pressure means positioned between the tiedown member and upper roller exerting a downward pressure on the upper roller whereby the said runner portion is retained in a rattle-proof running engagement with the lower support roller.

2. In a vehicle seat adjuster, a pair of support members one of which is adapted to be fixed to the seat and the other of which is adapted to be fixed to the floor of the vehicle, one of said members having a runner portion, a tie-down member secured to one of said support members to form a housing through which the runner portion of the other support member passes. a roller rotatably supported by the said tie-down member and cooperating support member in the lower portion of said housing upon which the runner portion of the other support member runs, and a cooperating roller positioned in the housing above the said runner member having a rolling contact with the said runner portion, an axle for said roller having a floating fit in the openings provided therefor in the said tie-down and cooperating support members, and resilient pressure means positioned between the tie-down member and upper roller exerting a downward pressure on the upper roller whereby the said runner portion is retained in a rattle-proof running engagement with the lower support roller.

ANDREW CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN. 

